The Candy Man Can’t

A soda fountain in St. Paul may be fined $500 by city inspectors for selling candy cigarettes.

Lynden’s Soda Fountain opened a few months ago but was recently warned it was violating the city’s ban on candy cigarettes, passed in 2009. It said it won’t keep selling the candy cigarettes or bubblegum cigars, but it is promoting the incident. “Stop in and try a Soda at half price between now and the end of the year while sugar is still legal!” the store stated in a Facebook post.

“Just tell the jerk ‘you heard we were busted’ to receive your 50% off on a handmade soda! Bring the whole family!”

The owner said she had no idea selling the candy was illegal. Some activists are concerned that candy cigarettes are bad influences on children, but Tobi Lynden said most buyers were adults. “We weren’t trying to promote smoking or tobacco use of any kind,” she said.

“Ugh. Sorry to hear it,” wrote one Facebook user. “Really starting to hate what our society has become.”

“Oh no, I was going to buy some for stocking stuffers! I loved them as a kid,” wrote another. “Sorry to Lynden’s, you were just making life a little more fun!”